1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sulfur-modified chloroprene rubber, a molded article thereof, and a method for producing the sulfur-modified chloroprene rubber. It specifically relates to a sulfur-modified chloroprene rubber and a molded article thereof favorably used as a material for rubber products for use in applications under dynamic environment, such as transmission belts and conveyer belts for use in industries in general, air springs for use in automobiles, antivibration rubbers and others, and also to a method for producing the sulfur-modified chloroprene rubber.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sulfur-modified chloroprene rubbers, which show favorable dynamic properties, have been used as materials for transmission belts and conveyer belts for use in industries in general, air springs for automobiles, antivibration rubbers and others. These products have a problem that they deteriorate gradually and show decrease in product lifetime when they are used under higher-temperature environment. For that reason, there existed a need for development of a sulfur-modified chloroprene rubber improved in heat resistance.
Known as the means of improving the heat resistance of sulfur-modified chloroprene rubbers are, for example, a method of using a special tetraalkylthiuram disulfide during plasticization (peptization) of sulfur-modified chloroprene rubbers (see Patent Document 1) and a method of adding an unsubstituted or substituted thiazolidinethione-2 and an imidazole group-containing compound (see Patent Document 2).